The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-24
HOLD NUMBER TWELVE
RI LtKE suARr.

you? Who told you?"
 "Charlev Rranscome. the conductor. He said he was running the train at the time"
 "So he was. What did he say about itP"
 "He said it was the most daring thing he ever knew a fellow to do. You see, we were all in his room talking about railroad escapes aud that sort ot thing, and then he told how you saved the train"
 "Jess so," replied the telegraphcr, without seeming to be very well pleascti that his heroism had been the subject of conversation. "Now, honor bright. didn't he add anything by the way of of explanation to the storyY"
 "No. That explanation could there be? You dtd save the train didn't youp"
 "Oh, saved the trdm all right enough. Charley is good sort of fellow tell you, Yes; he was conductor on No. l2 at that time, still he might have added some thing Ia the story of heroism that would have been true enough, yet 1t shows what a good hearted fellow he is not to have told it."
 "Why, were you to blame any about the dispatch2 understood him to say it was no fault on your part
 "No, 1t was the train dispatcher's fault. He should have let me know sooner don't brag much about that episode, but I'll tell you the whole story"
 The operator paused moment, and seemed to look back on that most ex- citing period of his life. The telc- graph machine chattcred away on the table, but the messages were for some other place.
 "You see" he began, No. l2 was due here at l 45 a. m. She stopped here for water, and for orders. She was the fastest train on the line al that time, and Branscome did the ticket scalping on board That night 1t was raining cats and dogs, when Charley came in with his lantern hung on his arm, and stood at the desk till Pete backed his engine from the water tank. Then he said, 'noth- ing for me, eh?' and l said there was nothing, and he says, well 30 long, then and out he went. At that mo- mcnt there was call for me at the instrument, and answered 1t. only waited to hear three words of that message, but tell you those three words just made my hair stand on end. They were:
 Hold No. l2. ''
 'I gave one glance out the window and saw the last Pullman sleeper slowly passing. The remainder of that instant was taken up in springiDg clear over that counter and bolting out on the platform. Luckily we had a long platform at that station and l guess made the quickest time up that set of blanks that was ever made on that road. You sec on day train 1t would not bc 30 bad, for the con- ductor always swings himself on the last coach, but on the night trains, es- pecially at that hour, everybody in the slcepers are sleepcrs themselves, and so he gets on the last regular car, which is about the middle of the train. No. l2 generally had three sleepers. She had four on that night.
 "Well, l swung on the platform of the last sleeper just as it was passing the end of the station, and was never so thankful for anything in my life for the train was beginning to go pretty fast, and it was that or noth- ing.
 "I knew that even then there was not a second to be lost, and l must confess that was pretty badly rat tied. Although l had only heard the first three words of the dispatch knew that somewhere on the line, coming, that expected to pass No. l2 at our siding.
 "I tried the door of the sleeper and was mortified to find 1t locked. kicked and beat at the door, but the porter was at the other end of the car, probably polishing mp someone's boots or very likely asleep. Then tried to break the glass of the window so that could put in my arm and push back the door catch but you know how thick the plate glass is in car door, and had nothing but my elbow to break it with. Every mo- ment lost WAS putting me in frenzy. l gave one despairiDg kick at the door hoping to break it in, but 1t was no good.
 "The next insts mt resolved to get at Pete, the engineer, by climbing over the top of the train. How ever got up there don't knew. | don't believe I could do It now on a standing car to save my life and by this time the train was rattIing along at forty miles mn hour, swinging